No monopoly on borisbikes
Posted by Alan P on February 25, 2011
So the real reason Mr C visited London was to play about on the Boris Bikes. Being the scheming planning type I thought – why don’t we try something a bit different. How about trying to visit every square on the monopoly board using only Cycle Hire? Great idea. In their glory, here’s the map of all the points:
Starting at Angel there were two bikes in the dock – only one would undock. Stop. Walk to the next docking station halfway down Pentonville Road. Undock. Get distracted and cycle to Marylebone via the segregated route parallel to Euston Road (in doing so miss Euston Road & Kings Cross station). Due to roadworks even this didn’t go well as the eastern end was closed!
Access Denied
Docking at Marylebone, we then struggled to find another two bikes in the same rack. Which resulted in a walk to Marble Arch and ultimate abandonment. Having not really planned a route between the docks or really thought about it past potting them it probably wasn’t ever going to go well. However, we did then cycle all the way across Hyde Park and back again. And the further east eventually finishing at Liverpool St. So it wasn’t an entirely wasted day.
Jelly family at Marble Arch
Ideally I need to find someone adept enough with computers to run a travelling salesmen algorithm across the points to get the most optimal route. The two main outliers (Old Kent Road / Marlborough St) might cause you to spend a quid but otherwise everything is easily within 30 minute cycling distance of Charing Cross – but even then I’m sure with a bit of gusto and traffic lights in your favour it would be possible.
For anyone who fancies a go – here’s my Boris Bike Monopoly spreadsheet listing the squares, docks and co-ordinates of the docks.
Enjoy!
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Joe Dunckley said
I love the Tavistock/Torrington Place Scaletrix cycle lane. That this absurdity is one of the best cycling facilities we have says so much about London. Even better that when ibikelondon led the nation’s bike bloggers there, it was closed…
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5132/5449575346_ba540b427c_z.jpg
Alan P said
Quality infrastructure right!
Personally my favourite to use is the short 100m or so on Queen Victoria St as you pass through the ring of steel. It’s nice having segregated running, complete with double yellow lines!
Glen Turnbull said
two location corrections for your spreadsheet
Vine Street in the game refers to one in W1 just off regent street see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vine_Street,_London
the other is Marlborough Street which as you sugested is Great Marlborough St see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Marlborough_Street
also except for Whitechapel Road and Old Kent road (in my opinion) they are all located fairly close to their colour groups
Alan P said
Thanks Glen – I’ll update that in my spreadsheet.
Reflections and Resolutions « A Grim North said
[...] February was no less frantic, with a further 30 miles walked and a failed attempt at monopolising the Boris Bike scheme. [...]